LONGMEN is considered one of the three “Top Buddhist Grottoes” in China, and was the first of these that I visited. It is considered by some to be the best of the three. (I still have not been to Mogao/Dunhuang, but I have seen Yungang at Datong.)

I was not prepared for the overwhelming beauty of the place. Even on a dreary day, the 1-kilometer stretch of carvings on the west side of a gorge of the Yihe River was spectacular. The east side is less contiguous and linear, but still holds some fascinating images.

Overall there are estimated to be up to 100,000 figures in perhaps 1,400 caves (some put the figure at over 2,300). Most can be seen by the public, though not all of the caves can be entered.

The carvings began in 493, when Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) moved his capital to Luoyang, and were continued in four distinct phases well into the 12th century.

Perhaps the most outstanding grouping is the Fengxian, which was formerly sheltered by a temple building. The figures within the overhang are widely considered to be the pinnacle of Tang-Dynasty (618-907) art.

The central figure of Vairocana Buddha — the largest figure at Longmen — was completed in the year 626 under the patronage of Empress Wu Zetian. Because the empress is known to have paid for it, legend says that the feminine features of the Buddha are the face of Wu Zetian herself. Around the central figure are eight other major statues, representing the Buddha’s attendants.

Also within the scenic area are Xiangshan Temple, and the garden and tomb of Tang poet Bai Juyi.